{{short description|Retired Swedish ice hockey player}} {{For|those with a similar name|Paul Erickson (disambiguation)}} {{update after|2022|08|09}} <!--last updated 9 Aug 2021--> {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Paul Eriksson | league = Elitserien | prospect_team = | prospect_league = | position = Defence | image = | caption = | image_size = 225px | played_for = Lycksele (2009—2010) <br>Timrå IK (2010—2011) <br> → Kovlands (2010-2011) <br>TUTO (2011—2012) <br>Olimpiya (2011—2013) <br>HCK (2012—2013) <br> → Hunters (2012—2013) <br>Izhstal (2013—2014) <br>Glazov (2013—2014) <br>Arystan (2014—2015) <br>Södertälje (2015—2016) Valbo (2016—2017) | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 181 | shoots = Right | birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1991|4|26}} | birth_place = Gävle, Sweden | draft = | draft_team = | draft_year = | career_start = 2009 | career_end = 2010 }} '''Paul Eriksson''' (born April 26, 1991) is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman.<ref name=elite/> He played in a number of leagues throughout his career, including the Elitserien, Mestis, and the MHL.<ref name=stromsbro/> Since his retirement in 2017, he has been coaching youth hockey.<ref name=brynas/><ref name=stromsbro/>
==Early life== Eriksson was born in Gävle, Sweden in 1991.<ref name=wedding/> He has a sister.<ref name=expressen/> He is half Russian and his father works for Scania AB in St. Petersburg.<ref name=changes>{{cite web|url=https://www.lt.se/artikel/tillbaka-i-ssk-efter-mobbningen-i-ost|title=Tillbaka i SSK efter mobbningen i öst|last=Bäck|first=Adam|date=2015-09-19|publisher=LT|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref>
===Youth teams=== Eriksson played in the U16 SM (2006—2007), the J18 Elit (2006—2008), and the J18 Allsvenskan (2006—2008) for Djurgården before transferring to Södertälje (SSK) and playing in the J18 Elit (2008—2009), J18 Allsvenskan (2008—2009), and J20 SuperElit (2008—2010).<ref name=valbo>{{cite web|url=http://www.valbohc.se/news/4690199/Back-fran-SSK-klar?firstRef|title=Back från SSK klar|date=2016-08-10|publisher=Valbo HC|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref><ref name=nomad>{{cite web|url=http://www.uppdragsport.se/de-tva-forsta-hjaltarna-har-lamnat-nya-ssk/|title=De första hjältarna har lämnat "nya SSK"|date=2016-04-06|author=Andreas|publisher=Uppdrag Sport|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref><ref name=elite>{{cite web|url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/10719/paul-eriksson?total-stats-tab=teams|title=Paul Eriksson|date=n.d.|publisher=Elite Hockey Prospects|access-date=2021-08-09}}</ref> He also played in the J20 SuperElit for Björklöven (2009—2010) and for Timrå (2010—2011) before going pro.<ref name=elite/>
==Career== Eriksson played in Division 1 for Lycksele during the 2009—2010 season, then in the Elitserien for Timrå during 2010-2011.<ref name=elite/> Timrå placed him on loan to Division 1 team Kovlands IF for the rest of the season.<ref name=elite/> From there, he transferred into the Finnish Mestis league to play for TUTO (2011—2012).<ref name=elite/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tutohockey.fi/fi/uutisarkisto/tuto-taipui-hck-lle|title=TUTO TAIPUI HCK:LLE|date=2011-08-25|publisher=TUTO Hockey|access-date=2021-08-09|language=fi}}</ref> He moved to Russia to play in the MHL for Olimpiya during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons.<ref name=elite/><ref name=brynas/> He also competed with the Mestis team HC Keski-Uusimaa during 2012—2013.<ref name=elite/> He was placed on loan to Hunters in the Suomi-sarja during the season.<ref name=elite/>
He started out the 2013—2014 season playing for the VHL team Izhstal after being scouted at an all-star game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vhlru.ru/en/players/18794/|title=Eriksson Paul|date=n.d.|publisher=Supreme Hockey League|access-date=2021-08-09}}</ref> In early 2014, a new coach joined the team and reduced Eriksson's playing time.<ref name=changes/> The club went bankrupt following the season.<ref name=changes/> For the 2014—2015 season, he joined Arystan Temirtau in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, where he competed in the Kazakhstan Hockey Cup.<ref name=changes/><ref name=uppdrag/><ref name=elite/><ref name=brynas/> He also played junior hockey for Glazov.<ref name=elite/>
During the 2015—2016 season, he returned to Allsvenskan team SSK, where he played youth hockey, on a tryout contract before being offered a more permanent position on the team.<ref name=nomad/><ref name=uppdrag>{{cite web|url=http://www.uppdragsport.se/nye-ssk-backen-paul-eriksson-jag-ar-en-person-med-hoga-ambitioner/|title=Nye SSK-backen Paul Eriksson: "Jag är en person med höga ambitioner"|date=2015-08-29|publisher=Uppdrag Sport|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref> He played 43 games and scored 8 points.<ref name=elite/> Eriksson signed with Valbo for the 2016—2017 season, which was planned as his last.<ref name=valbo/>
==Coaching career== Eriksson was the assistant coach of the Brynäs U16 team in the U16 Elit league in 2017—2018<ref name=brynas>{{cite web|url=https://www.brynas.se/artikel/wguwaj28h-1ekad/nytt-tranarnamn-in-pa-ungdomssidan|title=Nytt tränarnamn in på ungdomssidan|date=n.d.|publisher=Brynäs|last=Mansson|first=Peter|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref> and was the head coach for Strömsbro IF in 2021—2022.<ref name=stromsbro/>
==Personal life== Eriksson married his Russian girlfriend Maria on ice during an SSK training session in 2015.<ref name=wedding>{{cite web|url=http://www.uppdragsport.se/ssk-backen-gifte-sig-i-scaniarinken-i-ssk-troja/|title=SSK-backen gifte sig i Scaniarinken – iförd SSK-tröja|author=Andreas|date=2016-01-02|publisher=Uppdrag Sport|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref><ref name=expressen>{{cite web|url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/hockey/de-gifte-sig-pa-isen-det-var-valdigt-lyckat/|title=De gifte sig på isen: "Det var väldigt lyckat"|date=2016-01-04|last=Landén|first=Petter|publisher=Expressen Sport|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref> After retiring from professional hockey, he attended the Gävle University College and earned a degree in systems engineering.<ref name=stromsbro>{{cite web|url=https://www.laget.se/stromsbrohockey/news/6577414/Ny-headcoach-for-J18Elit-sasongen-21-22|date=2021-02-11|title=Ny headcoach för J18Elit säsongen 21/22|last=Loinder|first=Pia|publisher=Strömsbro IF|access-date=2021-08-09|language=sv}}</ref><ref name=brynas/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Ice hockey stats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eriksson, Paul}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Timrå IK players Category:Swedish ice hockey defencemen Category:21st-century Swedish sportsmen Category:TuTo players Category:Ice hockey people from Gävle Category:HC Izhstal players Category:Arystan Temirtau players Category:Södertälje SK players Category:Swedish ice hockey coaches